Grand Connection Crossing

The Grand Connection is Bellevue's signature initiative to create a continuous pedestrian and bicycle corridor stretching from Meydenbauer Bay on Lake Washington through downtown to the Eastrail trail in Wilburton. Its keystone element, the Grand Connection Crossing, is a planned bridge over Interstate 405 connecting the Bellevue City Hall plaza near the Downtown light rail station to Eastrail.

Designs call for a structure roughly 30 feet wide at the City Hall plaza, widening to about 40 feet over the freeway. The city has estimated the crossing at $175-230 million for design, property, and construction, with early concept work funded by Amazon and a multi-tiered funding strategy under development.

Bellevue is pursuing the project under the General Contractor/Construction Manager delivery method, with initial connectivity from City Hall plaza to Eastrail anticipated to open around 2030. A lid-park alternative would add roughly 200,000 square feet of green and plaza space over the freeway between NE 4th and NE 6th streets.